Префект преторианской гвардии в Римской империи

High office in the Roman Empire

The praetorian prefect (praefectus praetorio; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides. Under Constantine I, the office was much reduced in power and transformed into a purely civilian administrative post, while under his successors, territorially defined praetorian prefectures emerged as the highest level administrative division of the Empire. The prefects again functioned as the chief ministers of the state, with many laws addressed to them by name. In this role, praetorian prefects continued to be appointed by the Eastern Roman Empire (and the Ostrogothic Kingdom) until the reign of Heraclius in the 7th century AD, when wide ranging reforms reduced their power and converted them to mere overseers of provincial administration. The last traces of the prefecture disappeared in the Byzantine Empire by the 840s. The term praefectus praetorio was often abbreviated in inscriptions as "PR PR" or "PPO".

Under the empire the praetorians or imperial guards were commanded by one, two, or even three praefects (praefecti praetorio), who were chosen by the emperor from among the equites and held office at his pleasure. From the time of Alexander Severus the post was open to senators also, and if an equestrian was appointed he was at the same time raised to the senate. Down to the time of Constantine, who deprived the office of its military character, the prefecture of the guards was regularly held by tried soldiers, often by men who had fought their way up from the ranks. In course of time the command seems to have been enlarged so as to include all the troops in Italy except the corps commanded by the city praefect (cohortes urbanae). The special position of the praetorians made them a power in their own right in the Roman state, and their prefect, the praefectus praetorio, soon became one of the more powerful men in this society. The emperors tried to flatter and control the praetorians, but they staged many coups d'état and contributed to a rapid rate of turnover in the imperial succession. The praetorians thus came to destabilize the Roman state, contrary to their purpose. The praetorian prefect became a major administrative figure in the later empire, when the post combined in one individual the duties of an imperial chief of staff with direct command over the guard also. Diocletian greatly reduced the power of these prefects as part of his sweeping reform of the empire's administrative and military structures.

In addition to his military functions, the praetorian prefect came to acquire jurisdiction over criminal affairs, which he exercised not as the delegate but as the representative of the emperor. By the time of Diocletian he had become a kind of grand vizier as the emperor's vice regent and 'prime minister.' Constantine removed active military command in 312. The prefect remained as chief quarter master general responsible for the logistical supply of the army. The prefect was the chief financial officer whose office drew up the global imperial budget. His office drew up the state liturgical obligations laid on the richer inhabitants of the Empire. He ceased to be head of administration which had to be shared with the master of the offices attached to the palace. Constantine in 331 confirmed that from the sentence of the praetorian praefect there should be no appeal. A similar jurisdiction in civil cases was acquired by him not later than the time of Septimius Severus. Hence a knowledge of law became a qualification for the post, which under Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, but especially from the time of Severus, was held by the first jurists of the age, (e. g. Papinian, Ulpian, Paulus) and, under Justinianus, John the Cappadocian, while the military qualification fell more and more into the background. The list is presumed to be incomplete due to the lack of sources documenting the exact number of persons who held the post, what their names were and what the length of their tenure was. Likewise, the Praetorians were sometimes commanded by a single prefect, as was the case with for example Sejanus or Burrus, but more often the emperor appointed two commanders, who shared joint leadership. Overlapping terms on the list indicate dual command.

Prefect Tenure Emperor served Arrius Varus 69 – 70 Vespasian Marcus Arrecinus Clemens 70 – 71 Vespasian Tiberius Julius Alexander (?) 69 – ? ? Vespasian Titus Flavius Vespasianus 71 – 79 Vespasian Lucius Julius Ursus 81 – 83 Domitian Cornelius Fuscus 81 – 87 Domitian Lucius Laberius Maximus 117 – 120 Trajan, Hadrian Servius Sulpicius Similis 112 – 123 Trajan, Hadrian Gaius Septicius Clarus 120 – 123 Hadrian Quintus Marcius Turbo 120 – 137 Hadrian Marcus Petronius Mamertinus 138 – 143 Hadrian, Antoninus Pius Marcus Gavius Maximus 138 – 158 Hadrian, Antoninus Pius Gaius Tattius Maximus 158 – 160 Antoninus Pius Sextus Cornelius Repentinus 160 – 166/7 Antoninus Pius Titus Furius Victorinus 159 – 168 Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius Titus Flavius Constans c. 168 Marcus Aurelius Marcus Macrinius Vindex 168 – 172 Marcus Aurelius Marcus Bassaeus Rufus 168 – 177 Marcus Aurelius Publius Tarrutenius Paternus by 179 – 182 Marcus Aurelius, Commodus Sextus Tigidius Perennis 180 – 185 Commodus Pescennius Niger c. 185 Commodus Marcius Quartus 185 Commodus Titus Longaeus Rufus 185 – 187 Commodus Publius Atilius Aebutianus 185 – 187 Commodus Marcus Aurelius Cleander 187 – 189 Commodus Lucius Julius Vehilius Gratus Julianus 188 – 189 Commodus Regillus 189 Commodus Motilenus 190 Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus Quintus Aemilius Laetus 192 – 193 Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus Titus Flavius Genialis 193 Didius Julianus Tullius Crispinus 193 Didius Julianus

Prefect Tenure Emperor served Flavius Juvenalis 193 – 197? Didius Julianus, Septimius Severus Decimus Veturius Macrinus 193 – 197? Didius Julianus, Septimius Severus Gaius Fulvius Plautianus 197 – 205 Septimius Severus Quintus Aemilius Saturninus 200 Septimius Severus Marcus Aurelius Julianus c. 200/205 Septimius Severus, Caracalla Marcus Flavius Drusianus c. 204/204 Septimius Severus, Caracalla Aemilius Papinianus 205 – 211 Septimius Severus, Caracalla Quintus Maecius Laetus 205 – 215? Septimius Severus, Caracalla Valerius Patruinus 211? – 212 Caracalla Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus 212 – 217 Caracalla Marcus Oclatinius Adventus 215 – 217 Caracalla Marcus Opellius Macrinus 214 – 217 Caracalla Ulpius Julianus 217 – 218 Macrinus Julianus Nestor 217 – 218 Macrinus Julius Basilianus 218 Elagabalus Publius Valerius Comazon 218 – 221 Elagabalus Flavius Antiochianus 221 – 222 Elagabalus Flavianus 222 – ? ? Alexander Severus Geminius Chrestus 222 – ? ? Alexander Severus Gnaeus Domitius Annius Ulpianus 222 – 223/228 Alexander Severus Lucius Domitius Honoratus 223 – ? ? Alexander Severus Marcus Aedinius Julianus 223 – ? ? Alexander Severus Marcus Attius Cornelianus c. 230 Alexander Severus Julius Paulus 228 – 235 Alexander Severus

Prefect Tenure Emperor served Vitalianus 238 Maximinus Thrax Annullinus ? ? – 238 Maximinus Thrax Pinarius Valens 238 Pupienus; Balbinus Domitius before 240 – ? ? Gordian III Gaius Furius Sabinius Aquila Timesitheus 241 – 244 Gordian III Gaius Julius Priscus 242 – 246 Gordian III; Philip the Arab Philip the Arab 243 – 244 Gordian III Maecius Gordianus 244 Gordian III Quintus Herennius Potens 249 – 251 Decius? Successianus 254 – 255/260 Valerian Silvanus ? ? – c. 260 Gallienus Lucius Petronius Taurus Volusianus c. 260 Gallienus Callistus Ballista 260 – 261 Macrianus, Quietus Marcus Aurelius Heraclianus 268 Gallienus Julius Placidianus c. 270 Aurelian Marcus Annius Florianus 275 – 276 Tacitus Marcus Aurelius Carus 276 – 282 Probus Lucius Flavius Aper 284 Numerian Marcus Aurelius Sabinus Julianus c. 283? – c. 284 Carinus Titus Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus 285 Carinus; Diocletian